Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left…
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’
And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”
Luke 23: 32, 33, 39-43 (ESV)“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.”
John 3: 16-17 (NASB)“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
Ephesians 2: 8-9 (NLT)
As we have noted before, we are in the season of Lent.
The season embraced by many who claim to be followers of Christ.
A period of forty days, not counting Sundays, beginning with Ash Wednesday, and ending on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
The Lenten season is a season of redemption, renewal, of turning or returning, and drawing nearer to God.
With the goal of becoming more like God—the One Who knows you best and loves you most.
And a season of reflection on many things.
But one most paramount—our Salvation.
Assuring our place of eternal life with Christ, as the preferred location of two forever possibilities when our short time on earth is over.
Jesus Christ made it very clear why He came to earth when He said to Nicodemus—
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3: 16-17 (NASB)
And we are reminded by the Apostle Paul that we can’t earn our Salvation, but it is a gift from God, when we believe, assuring us of eternal life in Heaven, as he shares these words, inspired by God—
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2: 8-9 (NLT)
Only One. Only one way. Believe.
And there on Calvary, or Golgotha, the Place of the Skull—two thieves nailed on two crosses. Bad deeds. Sentenced to death.
And then one cross standing in the middle of them, holding the One, Jesus Christ, from whom we receive our Salvation, when we believe.
Assuring us of eternal life in Heaven.
And one undeserving thief hanging there on one of the two crosses, believed and Jesus said to him—
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Salvation.
For you. For me. For all who believe.
Who do we know who needs to believe?
In His Name–Scott
Listen to Alistair Begg share the short message of Hope, for you and for you to share with others— “The Man on the Middle Cross.”
